Bowers & Wilkins only uses the Signature name sparingly, reserving it for the “rare and radically upgraded versions of its conventional loudspeakers and technologies.” The company says that since the brand was founded in 1966, only seven series of loudspeakers have carried the prestigious Signature mark — a reflection of its prestige and exclusivity.

The new Bowers & Wilkins 801 D4 Signature and 805 D4 Signature build on a heritage that stretches back to the acclaimed Silver Signature loudspeaker of 1991, originally developed as a posthumous tribute to the founder of the company, John Bowers. The new models build on the performance and aesthetic benchmarks of the 801 D4 and 805 D4 models that form the basis of their respective designs, featuring carefully upgraded componentry plus luxurious and beautiful new finishes.

The larger model in the new Signature range is the 801 D4 Signature, a three-way floor-standing loudspeaker that builds on the specification of the iconic 801 D4 as found in Abbey Road Studios.

Based on the brand’s Diamond Dome tweeter and Continuum Cone FST midrange drive unit, the 801 D4 Signature adds twin 250mm (10”) Aerofoil Cone bass drivers with upgraded and improved magnets to their motor systems relative to the 801 D4 model. It also includes a top aluminum plate beneath its Turbine Head midrange enclosure; this new design uses a new optimized skeletal structure and carefully placed damping material to reduce unwanted resonance from the top of the enclosure significantly. The result is even more midrange transparency and openness to the already outstanding performance of the 801 D4.

The port output on 801 D4 Signature has received similarly significant upgrades; it is now cast from aluminum, creating a stiffer and quieter structure that is less prone to unwanted port noise. In combination with the updated Aerofoil Cone bass drivers, this results in even cleaner, lower distortion and more accurate sounding bass.

As with the larger 801 D4 Signature model, the 805 D4 Signature also includes an all-new grille mesh for more openness and transparency plus an upgraded crossover with new bypass capacitors. In addition, an all-new bass / midrange motor system features upgraded performance from its 165mm (6.5”) drive unit, ensuring both a cleaner delivery through the midrange plus more extended bass. Finally, it features mechanical revisions to its aluminium top plate aimed at further reducing unwanted noise and vibration from the structure.

Both the 801 D4 Signature and 805 D4 Signature are only available in two exclusive new finishes. The Midnight Blue Metallic paint is the same as offered on the iconic Nautilus loudspeaker, featuring a total of eleven coats of paint and lacquer that are machine polished to a gleaming and lustrous finish. Excluding curing times, the paint application process alone is in excess of 18 hours of labour. Midnight Blue Metallic loudspeakers are further celebrated with a bespoke blue Leather by Connolly trim on the top plate.